Bowling-ball.



PATENTED AUG. 13,1907.

s. G. WILSON.

BOWLING BALL. APPLIUATION FILED ran. a, 1904.

y El "0mm .3 7

WW mow which are finger and thumb holes 12. has a shoulder 13 adapted toreceive a cooperating cap STEPHEN G. WILSON, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

BOWLING-B ALL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed February 3,1904. Serial No. 191.790.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN G. \VILSON} a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia. in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inBowling-Balls, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to balls such as are used in bowling and similargames.

It consists of means detachably insertible in said balls whereby theirweight may be varied without disturbing their center of gravity.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as willbe hereinafter fully set forth.

Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 represent in vertical section, modifications ofballs in accordance with my invention. Fig. 5, also in vertical section,represents a portion of such a ball showing a further modification.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

In Fig. I of the drawings I have shown one of the balls 5 made in twosegments, 6 and 7, screwed together at 8 and provided with set screw 9to prevent their unscrewing. Each ball has a globular cavity 10 and isprovided at its upper end with a plate 11 in The plate 11 14. The cap 14is shown as provided with holes 15 adapted to receive the lugs 16 of awrench 17 The cap 14 has an inwardly projecting interiorly threaded lug18. In the portion 7 of the ball and diametrically opposite the lug 14is secured a plate 19 having an interiorly threaded lug 20. Between thelugs 18 and 20 extends a rod 21 threaded at each end to engage in thelugs. On the rod 21 is a tube 22 each end of which is closed by a disk23, which may be of wood or the like and which is held in place by a setscrew 24 bearing against the rod 21. The tube 22 is filled with a massof shot 25 or similar small heavy articles. Connecting with theapertures 12 in the plate 11 are corresponding grip apertures 26 in thesegment 6 in which the finger and thumb of the player may be inserted.

To assemble the parts described the tube 22 with the disks 23 and massof shot therein is slipped over the rod 21 and the disks 23 secured toconfine the shot closely between them and with due regard to the centerof gravity of the ball 5, in which they are to be inserted. The upperend of the rod 21 is then firmly secured in the lug 18 of the cap 14.The portions 6 and 7 of the ball being then secured together and held inplace by the set screws 9, the free end of the rod 21 is screwed intothe lug 20 of the plate 19. The hand hole plate 11 having been put inposition the cap 14 is screwed home by means of the wrench 17 so thatthe parts are firmly united. It is evident that by varying the mass ofshot in the tube 22, either in manufacture before the hole for screw 24is bored in tube 22 or afterward by the provision of a number of suchholes 24 arranged in any suitable manner as spirally, the weight of theball may be adjusted to any desired extent. This enables balls of astandard size to be used and to have their weight proportioned to thestrength or desire of the player by varying the weight of this innermember. A plurality of tubes 22, with plates 11 secured thereto, may bekept on hand for substitution within the shell of the ball for theparticular tube i which is normally used therein, thus varying the totalweight of the ball without changing its size.

I11 Fig. 2 of the drawings I have shown the ball 5 consisting as beforeof two hollow wooden segments 6 and 7 secured together at 8 by setscrews 9. In this construction I provide a sleeve 27 engaging with aplate 28 at its upper end and at its lower end with a plate 29. Withinthe plate 29 is secured a yoke 30 in which is a slot 31 adapted to passthe fiat or milled head 32 of a screw 33. The screw 33 is inserted in aplug 34. which forms the bottom of the tube 35. the upper end of thetube being engaged by a cap 38. Within the tube 35 are disks 36adjustable in the same manner as disks 23 held in place by screws 37 andserving to confine a mass of shot 25 as before.

The device is assembled by first putting the halves of the balltogether, slipping into place the plates 28 and 29 and securing themtogether by means of the threaded sleeve 27. The tube 35 is then firmlyscrewed into the cap 38, the stud 33 being in like manner firmly securedin the plug 34. The last named parts are then dropped into the ball 5the flattened head 32 of the stud or screw 33 passing through the slot31 in the yoke 30. The tube is then given a quarter turn which ongagesthe head of the screw beneath the yoke.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings I have shown a ball 5 composed of metalsections 6 and 7 the upper section being provided with finger or thumbholes 39 and with an interiorly threaded portion 40. The part 7* has atits middle point an interior projection 41. A tube 42 contains a mass ofshot 25 held in place by disks 43 adjustable in the same manner as disks23 by set screws 44. The tube has its lower end slipped over theprojection 41, its upper end having screw threaded engagement with a cap45 provided with holes 15, as before for a wrench' 17.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings I have shown the segments 6 and 7 of the ballas made of metal, the upper segment having a shoulder 46 adapted toreceive a plate 47 in which are finger and thumb holes 48. The plate 47and the lower segment 7 have internal lugs 49 and 50, respectively, eachadapted to engage an end of the rod 51. The upper end of the rod 51maybe further engaged with the cap 47 and prevented from unscrewingtherefrom by means of a set screw 52. On the rod 51 are mounted nuts 53and 54 between which is a weight shown as of globular form and consistsof a plurality of segments 55, 56 and 57, etc. It is evident that beforethe parts are assembled the nut 54 may be removed and one or more of thesegments 55, 56 or the like be taken from the rod 51 whereby the weightof the ball when assembled may be varied. It is also evident that byproper adjustment of the nuts 53 and 54 the center of gravity of theball may be constantly maintained at its center of mass.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have shown an upper plate 58 in which is acap 59 provided with a yoke 60 adapted by the rotation of the cap topass through slots 61 in the plate 58 and to engage under a shoulder 62therein. Cooperating with this device is a bottom plate 63. The partsare intended to be joined by a tube substantially as shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings which tube is to be filled with shot or the like as before,and is held in place by its engagement between the plates 58 and 63.

I have shown a variety of modes of securing an adj ustable weight withits center of gravity corresponding to the center of mass of the ball toindicate that my device may be modified in a variety of forms and thatmy invention is not limited to a special embodiment.

It is evident that various changes may be made by those skilled in theart which will come within the scope of my invention, and I do not,therefore, desire to be limited in every instance to the exactconstruction herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A ball for bowling or the like having a centrally dis poseddetachable weight.

2. A ball for bowling or the like having a centrally dis posed,detachable member and means for adjusting the weight of the member.

3. A ball for bowling or the like consisting of a plurality o1. hollowsegments, removable means for securing said segments together and aweight detachably secured within said ball.

I. A ball for bowling or the like consisting of a plurality of hollowsegments, means for securing said segments to gether and an adjustableweight detachably secured within said ball.

A ball for bowling or the like consisting of a plurality of segments oneof which is provided with a cap cut away to form cooperating finger andthumb openings and a cen trally disposed weight attached to said cap andremovable therewith.

6. In a bail for bowling and the like, a cap piece. a weight securedthereto and removable means for uniting the cap piece with the body ofthe ball, said weight in position occupying the center of the ball.

7. In an adjustable ball for bowling and the like, a hollow casingformed of a plurality of parts having openings oppositely situatedtherein, an adjustable central weight and means cooperating with saidopposite openings for re movably attaching said weight.

8. In an adjustable ball for bowling and the like, a member adjustableas to weight comprising a rod, a series of disks capable of beingsupported thereon, and means upon said rod for securing said disksapproximately centrally thereof.

5). In a ball for bowling and the like, a hollow casing composed of aplurality of segments, lugs oppositely located in said segments andhaving openings therein. a rod insertible in the aperture of one of saidsegments and hav ing screw threaded engagement with an opposite segment,a nut and a stop upon said rod, and a plurality of disks adapted to besecured between said nut and stop.

10. In a ball for bowling and the like, a plurality of hollow segments,a rod having engagement with one of said segments and removableengagement with an opposite segment and a plurality of separable weightsmounted upon said rod.

11. In a ball for bowling and the like, a plurality of hollow segments,a rod having engagement with one segment andremovable engagement with anopposite segment, a stop upon said rod, a centrally disposed weightcapable of support upon said rod and means for retaining said weightagainst said stop.

- STEPHEN G. WILSON. Witnesses:

JOHN A. Wmonnsnnrn, GEO. L. COOPER.

